The Scarecrow and the Cherry Blossom
by Asayo
Summary: For every person who breaks a heart, there will always be someone who can fix it... you just need to find them. Rated T just to be on the safe side, but it could possibly be rated as an M later. Who knows? Hope you enjoy it!
1. Breaking, breaking, broken

-DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters ok? God knows what would happen to them if I did... ;) -

please enjoy my story!

The blonde lightly traced his whisker scars on each cheek while sighing. Sakura sat next to him, fiddling with strands of her pink hair. They both sat in silence, under the cherry blossom tree, petals raining down on them. It was noon, and they had both agreed to meet at the tree, the same tree that they had met up at since they were together, for possibly the last time. The spell of silence was shattered by a laugh from the boy.

"So is this how it's always going to be?" He asked with a snort. "I don't want to become enemies with you, Sakura. You have always been my friend, my team mate, and lover. I don't want to destroy the friend ship we have." He lightly touched Sakura's cold hand but she pulled it away sharply.

"But I'm not any of those anymore am I?" She failed to disguise the pain in her voice. "We aren't team mates, or lovers, and after this I'm almost sure we won't be friends." She hugged her knees, bringing them up under her chin. "You know what? Let's just end this now. We both know what's going on so you don't have to explain yourself."

"But we need to-"

"Just _go_! I hope that you and Hinata have a-" she choked back tears before completing the sentence. "-a happy life together." She avoided eye contact with her ex.

Years ago, she had stopped having her girlish crushes on boys like Sasuke and focused on her ninja training with her team mates and friends. It worked for months until she noticed how mature and strong Naruto had got. She also noticed a few other things about him which caused her to have a few nose bleeds. Their relationship blossomed over the past few months, but, like all flowers, started to wilt. He finally noticed Hinata.

Of course, Sakura did not wish to blame it on Hinata, she never interfered with their relationship. Naruto was the one to end it, in one of the harshest ways possible, kissing Hinata, who was surprised to say at the least. But it wasn't just his fault. Whenever she went close to the pairs make out spot, her friends diverted her. They had got Naruto drunk, hoping he would make a move on Hinata, who loved him since the first day they met. She only found out what had happened when her partner came home to her, drunk, and broke her heart. They hadn't spoken since, until now.

It hurt Naruto to see Sakura like this but he had brought it all onto himself. He had been set up by the others, and he fell for it. He cursed under his breath and shifted position. Even before he kissed Hinata, Naruto knew that something wasn't right between himself and Sakura. He should have been over the moon that his all time crush loved him back, but slowly, he started to feel different feelings towards her. Friendly feelings, but not love feelings. To be honest, he was glad that their relationship was over, but he wished that it didn't end in this way. She was breaking inside, if he stayed any longer, she would be driven over the edge.

Sakura felt Naruto's hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.

"Please, Sakura, please listen to me. I know my words were harsh but that was because I was drunk. I didn't know anything then. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you're sorry are you? Well I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I loved you, I'm sorry that I ever thought that you loved me back, and I'm sorry that I got in the way of you and Hinata!" She looked up at him with sad lonely eyes. "Why? Why did you ever go out with _me_ if you really loved _her_?"

"I'm sorry Sakura. I'm so sorry. I-I-I don't know." He whispered, trying to stroke her cheek.

"You don't know?" she slapped the hand away and scrambled to her feet. "So you never loved me? You don't know why you went out with me? You don't care about me?"

"No, no, no! Nothing like that! Sakura, please don't-"

"Well I don't know either! I don't know why I ever fell for a stupid bakka like you!" The tears were pouring down her face now. Her green eyes had lost their sparkle. She focused all the chakra to her feet and ran. She didn't know where she was running to, but as long as it was far away from her so called _friends_, she was fine. She glanced behind her for a split second to get a look at his face. He looked disappointed, but nothing more. He didn't chase after her.

_**Good riddance! **_Her inner Sakura clenched her fists and pummelled an imaginary Naruto.

"Yeah," she mumbled, "Good rid...GAH!" she cried out as she almost smacked into a citizen. She tried to stop but she was going too fast. Luckily, he side stepped and caught hold of Sakura before she stumbled by trying to stop abruptly while running at extreme speeds.

"Are you alright Sakura?" The man gently lowered her onto the floor. She gasped.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Drop the sensei. It's Kakashi now." He corrected her, grinning under his mask. The grin dimmed when he noticed her eyes. Sakura was mortified to find that she was still crying. "Sakura, what happened?" He gently laid a gloved hand onto her cold shoulder. She shivered and looked away, remembering Naruto. "I can see that you don't want to talk about it, but if you do, I'm always here." He brushed away her tears. Sakura smiled up at him.

"Thanks Kakashi."

"Do you want to talk about it now? It'll make you feel better." Kakashi squeezed her shoulder gently. Sakura hesitated for a minute, then nodded. "Right then, let's go to my place. It's closer." He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her close to him. Sakura squealed, but hung on. Kakashi chuckled softly and made a special hand sign. In a few seconds, they were gone, with only a swirl of smoke to show that they had ever been there.

Sakura found herself sitting cross legged on Kakashi's sofa. His living room was surprisingly neat, but his house was amazing. He lived in a mansion! She didn't even know that her Sensei was rich! She took a sip of her tea and breathed out a sigh of pleasure. It was just the thing to calm her down. Kakashi sat next to her, reading his pervy book. "Now, let's take a look at you." Now sitting up, he tilted her head towards him and examined.

"Aren't _I_ suppose to be the medic nin?" she giggled. He smiled back half heartedly.

"All ninjas have to learn medical. If they get wounded and are on their own, even the slightest bit of medical knowledge will save their life, or the lives of others." His only visible eye seemed a bit hazy, but then it was gone. "You just have much more medical knowledge than me. Now, let's take a look at you."

"It's fine...I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. I don't need examining" She looked down and tried to break away, but Kakashi cupped her chin in his hand.

"Your eyes tell differently" He said. She stopped moving and gave up, almost sulkily. After a few moments pause, Kakashi released Sakura's chin and leaned back. "It doesn't take a medic nin to realise that something's up. Nothing wrong with you physically, yet we can safely presume that there's something wrong mentally. Would you like to tell me what happened?" Sakura looked away for a second, memories of Naruto came flooding back. Happy times, good times, hurtful times. She soon found herself explaining the whole situation to Kakashi, who turned out to be a very good listener. Minutes passed un-noticed, and Sakura had explained every little detail to her ex sensei. Every time she trailed off, he motioned her to continue again. Sakura found herself enjoying talking to Kakashi.

"-so that's it really. Naruto has gone off with Hinata and everyone was planning this behind our backs. No-one likes me, not even Naruto anymore." She tried to stifle a sob. Kakashi rubbed her back gently.

"I like you, a lot actually." He comforted her for a few minutes then leaned back. "Ok, it's settled. You're staying with me until you're better. I'll help you pack your stuff." Sakura almost protested, but she noticed the determined glint in her ex sensei's eye.

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with me really. Well..." She thumped her chest, "Nothing that I can't handle." With her confidence back, the blossom smiled and tossed her hair. The strong smell on perfume wafted out. The perfume that Ino bought her. Ino and the others hated her now. She felt the niggling worries return.

"No Sakura. Some mental injuries take longer to heal than physical ones. Unlike a cut of a scratch, there is no medicine except laughter, and they don't heal unless you really want them to." He smiled from underneath his mask. "Besides, there's nothing for me to do anymore. I'm suppose to train the newbie teams, but they don't start for months."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. You're also going to stay off work for a while."

"But-"

"No buts. I may not be your teacher anymore, but I still have authority over you. Got that? Now come on."

"Yes Kakashi-sensei." She fumbled with her shoes and followed him out of the door. Kakashi laughed.

"What's it going take for you to just call me Kakashi?" He winked at the medic nin, then followed her out into the darkness.

Sakura balled her hands into fists as she sat on the sofa, desperately trying not to cry. Her emotions were truly mixed, depression and anger that Naruto and her ex friends had done that to her, happiness that Kakashi seemed to care, slight confusion that he _should_ care and finally exhaustion. She looked up at the masked ninja, who was sat in the armchair opposite, reading. She had to ask. If she didn't, her inner-Sakura would _explode_.

"Kakashi-sen...I mean, Kakashi?" she began warily. He marked his page and settled the book down, giving her his full attention. Another odd thing. He didn't give her this much attention when they were _teammates_ and now, after meeting for the first time in ages, he actually _puts his pervy book down_! "Eh, why did you, you know, let me stay here? I mean, um..."

_**JUST SPILL IT!**_ Inner Sakura yelled. She cringed.

"You seem kind of different. You never let people in your house, yet you offer to look after me without hesitation. It's...different." She hoped he didn't take it in a bad way, but he smiled.

"Why, don't you like the new me?" He grinned, hoping it sounded convincing. The real reason was...well...she reminded him of...Rin. The eyes, the hair, the once cheery attitude, all the same. But now she had changed, and he had a huge urge to fix her. He longed to see the huge, cute smile on her face again.

_Cute,_ he thought, _I just described her smile as cute._ He shook his head and grinned.

"Well, I do actually like the new you." Sakura grinned back, sipping her favourite tea, savouring the taste. "But I miss my lazy sensei." She suddenly realized what she had said. "_Our_ lazy sensei. Sasuke and..._him_ and me." She corrected herself, feeling foolish. Kakashi cocked his head to one side, amused. She blushed, hanging her head to hide it, suddenly interested in examining her tea. Kakashi got back to his precious book, carefully flicking the pages. Sakura watched him get totally absorbed into it with every word. The front cover looked innocent enough, just a girl getting chased by a boy, but then, she guessed, it would be more of a surprise once you actually read it. She found herself gazing at _him_ not the cover.

_**Wow, I've never noticed this before but **_**your **_**sensei is kinda hot. **_Inner Sakura teased.

_Shut up, inner, that was a mistake. And I guess he does look slightly hot, but- oh my God, what am I saying? He's my ex sensei! But he does look good, but I shouldn't be thinking that!_

_**His skin looks so smooth and his eye looks so deep and his fingers... oh woah, why didn't I notice this before?**_ Sakura's eyes explored every inch of his exposed skin while he was reading. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her gaze back to her empty cup. He must have notice her staring at him, surely! He was an elite ninja, so he must have felt her looking. She blushed again.

Kakashi tried hard to concentrate on his book, but other things were clouding his mind. For starters, he knew that he felt more for Sakura than he first thought. He liked her, maybe a bit more than a student, but not exactly a friend. Mixed emotions. And secondly, she was staring at him. It didn't exactly bother him, but, much to his horror, he was beginning to enjoy it. It was going to be hard to live with her like this, but letting her stay on her own was out of the question. She was confused, sad and broken. He knew what that was like. Kakashi found it hard to keep his eyes on his book. They kept straying from the words, slowly towards Sakura. He quickly flipped the pages to find his favourite parts, trying to keep his eyes averted from the pink beauty. Yes, beauty. He admits that Sakura is quite attractive, but that doesn't mean anything, right?


	2. Curiosity killed the cherry blossom

After the awkward few minutes, Kakashi decided to show Sakura around her room. It was far more sophisticated then she would have imagined. She protested against the idea of sleeping in his bed instead of him, but he ignored them. He told her that he would sleep on the sofa instead. That night, not surprisingly, Sakura lay wide awake in bed. Not only because of the difference in sheer size and richness compared to her room, but the faint scent of Kakashi leaked from the pillows and silk covers and clung to her. Sighing, she pushed herself out of the bed and went for a walk around the house, her bare feet padding softly on the luxurious carpet.

She didn't dare go downstairs where Kakashi slept. There was no need to unless she wanted to speak to him. Everything she needed downstairs was upstairs. In fact, there were even a few more rooms upstairs like the entertainment room. Heck, there was even an upstairs kitchen! She noted where the upstairs bathroom was and the kitchen and the library and the washing room and the games room and the collection room and the meditation room, also known as the music room. But, much to Sakura's distress, the walk had not made her sleepier, it had woken her up. Eventually, curiosity had gotten the better of her and she decided to explore. The bathroom was the first to be looked at. It was _huge._ Almost as big as Kakashi's room. It had a bath, a shower, a sink, a toilet, two cabinets and a _wardrobe_ full of towels and flannels and yukatas and kimonos made of different materials, but mostly silk or cotton. Her toes curled from the cold of the marble tiles, but she didn't leave. She was too transfixed.

"Oh my God!" She whispered to herself. She felt as if she had stepped into her ideal heaven. The long, oval mirror on the closet door was what caught her attention the most though. Its wooden frame was engraved with pictures of animals dancing around. She recognised them as the 12 zodiacs, with a giant hand of God welcoming them at the top of the top. Her fingers lightly traced each animal in turn. On the right side, there was the mouse, riding on the ox, also at the top with the hand. The dragon was on the left, opposite the ox and mouse. The snake was behind it, slithering along with its tongue flicking out. The dog was next, barking excitedly behind the ox. The horse galloped along behind the snake, and the rabbit, with its cute, button nose, hopped behind the dog. The monkey was swinging on its arms, behind the horse and then the ferocious tiger roaring at the rabbit in front. The sheep was next to the monkey and the rooster was next to the tiger. All together, they made two long lines on the left and right side of the mirror. Sakura stroked around the wooden frame until she reached the bottom. There was a cat, staring longingly at the party above. Sakura remembered that the mouse told the cat that the party was the next day, so it didn't become a zodiac. She stroked the wooden animal sadly, and left the room.

She didn't want to see the cupboard, as it was probably just a boring room with stocks. Instead, she skipped ahead to the library. She expected it to be filled with pervy books, but it was full of old classics and encyclopaedias and fictions and non-fictions. She stood there, rooted to the spot, gawping. There were piles of books on the floor, book shelves stacked and almost buckling. There were books _everywhere_. The shelves were _huge_. The room itself was huge! The roof was so high, she wondered if it never ended. There were ladders attached to the shelves to help you reach higher. She tip toed inside. It was about 15 times the size of the bathroom. The room looked magical but forbidding at the same time. The silence of the library was broken by a floorboard groaning under the pressure of her foot. She tensed and half expected a librarian to come skidding over the floorboards to yell at her. She wished it was brighter so she could actually see. Deciding it would be better not to go any further, she carefully crept over the creaking boards and out the library, closing the door behind her.

The kitchen was, in a way, like the bathroom. It was big, had all the necessary essentials but plus a little bit more and full of luxury. Sakura wanted to spend more time in it, but saw the digital clock on the microwave and scurried out. She would rather look at the entertainment room than a kitchen any day, but at this rate, she wouldn't have enough time. It was morning already and she had only checked out a few rooms. Was she really that long in the bathroom? Or was it the library which slowed her? She ran silently to the entertainment room and slipped inside.

It was chock a block full of arcade games, game consoles, TVs and much more. She wanted to play some but was too afraid to go near them. What if they made a noise and woke up Kakashi? She heard a noise and hid in the dark, hoping if it was Kakashi, he would not want to come upstairs and into this very room. When the noise faded away, she took a risk and ran out the game room and back to hers, trying to make as little noise as she possibly could. As she ran, she passed the music room. Should she have a peek? Or should she play it safe and go back to her room?

_**Go inside! Aw come on! It'll only take a sec!**_ Her inner Sakura cheered her on. She soon gave in, curious to see what type of music Kakashi likes. She opened the door cautiously. It didn't creak. She looked in, and almost fainted on the spot. Forget the bathroom, _this_ was her ideal heaven. The walls were cream white; the carpet was cream white and felt delicious under her feet. Light, fluffy and relaxing. _Everything_ was cream white. There were bean bags in the corner, next to a low, glass table with a CD player and head phones. Like the library, there were shelves stacked high with books, but this room also had shelves stacked high with CDs. Sakura realized that when she had gone in, the lights were already on, and that's why the place seemed so bright. She looked instinctively to her right and spotted a foot. Cautiously, she crept forwards and saw Kakashi on a bean bag, head phones jammed on his head in a way that it didn't mess up his hair. He was lightly bobbing his head to some music, visible eye closed, mask still on. He looked so peaceful and she wanted to stare at him forever, but then a question popped up. Where had _he_ come from? Her heart sped up. He must have been in here and just sat down when she wasn't looking. She lingered around for a few seconds, then padded back to the door.

She wanted to visit one last room before returning to her own room. The last to see was a collection room, but she wasn't totally interested in that. She opened a door she hadn't noticed earlier and saw another corridor with even more doors. There were no windows and the dark was engulfing her already, but she trekked onwards into the unknown. Not knowing where to start, she picked a random door and felt around for the door handle. Her fingertips brushed it, and she pulled, but it wouldn't open. She tugged again, thinking it was stiff, but still nothing. Then she felt around again and noticed a key slot. She was about to feel further but then she felt something on _her_. A hand fell onto her shoulder and a head was next to hers.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Kakashi lazily twirled the silver key in his hand. Sakura froze up; turned pale, wobbled then composed herself again. Kakashi watched this in amusement. He usually had that effect with people.

He led her back to her own room after listening to her lame excuse about going for a walk and getting lost etc. Before leaving, he turned and looked at her directly in the eye.

"Sakura, you are free to explore anywhere in this house, but promise me you'll be more careful next time. Don't go through that door." He laughed and rested the key in his palm and turned to leave, "Not like you could anyway." Sakura promised him, and then made a mental note to bring a torch next time.


	3. Sexy mail delivery!

At breakfast, the silence was, in a way, deafening. No one spoke much. One of the reasons is because Kakashi insisted in eating in another room so she doesn't see under the mask. Sakura was so tempted to burst into that room and finally see what he had hidden from her for years, but forced herself to continue eating. Later, he had finished his meal, he returned for another bowl of cereal.

"Why don't you let anyone see under the mask?" asked Sakura, sleepily munching her way through her cereal. "If I'm living here, I'm bound to see some other time.

"Hmm." Kakashi replied. This was not the answer Sakura would have preferred but she ignored the annoying elite. "Never mind me, are you going to be alright on your own today?" He changed the subject subtly. Then it was Sakura's turn to come up with an answer.

"Hmm?" she replied, copying the copy nin. He chuckled and leaned over the table to Sakura sat opposite him. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his.

"You may not have work, but I do. Are you going to be alright?" He repeated. Sakura and him stared at each other for a long time before she nodded. He chuckled again and leaned back in his chair. "Good." He smiled from under his mask. Sakura itched to pull it down and take a proper look. A sudden thought emerged from the corner of her mind. It began to worry her.

"Kakashi, you don't have to show me under the mask, but is it because you don't trust me?" She wouldn't be able to stand it if he didn't trust her.

_**So what if he doesn't trust us?**_ Inner Sakura teased. _**Why would you care?**_ Sakura blushed at this and hoped Kakashi would ignore the question she had just asked. When she asked it, it sounded...so desperate. Like when she use to talk to Sasuke...oh no...

Kakashi leaned forward so that they were nose to nose.

"It's not that I don't trust you, I can promise. And I also promise that by the time you have healed, you would have seen underneath this mask." He stretched over further so that their noses actually touched. If she made any sudden twitches those masked lips of his will be on hers...then the moment passed and Kakashi was by the doorway. How had he moved so quick? "See you later." He waved lazily and vanished. Sakura sat, dumbstruck at the kitchen table. What had just happened?

Kakashi thought back to his breakfast. Of course he trusted her, and he knew that sometime, she would see under his mask, but he didn't want it to happen so soon. Maybe later, when they had...

_When they had...what? What was he waiting for?_ Kakashi thought in his head as he pushed himself off the edge of the roof and onto another. _Maybe he was waiting for the time to be right. _

He left the matter and started on the next. All the signs pointed to one thing... Sakura was feeling mixed up about her emotions. The one he saw signs of the most was...love...to him. She likes him, even if she hasn't realized it. _She's just confused, _he reasoned with himself. _A confused friend who needs help and a shoulder to lean on._ He then thought of something that made his heart do somersaults. Did _he_ like _her?_ Why did he offer her a place at his house, and not stay with her at hers? Why is he so protective over her? Why is he even _considering_ letting her see under his mask, let alone promising? Kakashi realized, with dawning horror, that he might feel the same way towards _her_. How...different. He pushed everything out of his mind and continued on his way. He had a job to do...and a detour.

_Oh God. Oh no, oh God, _NO NO NO NO!_This is exactly like the Sasuke situation,_ she realized in horror, _I have a crush on my old Sensei._ She mentally shuddered at the thought. True, he looked hot. True, he had a great personality, but who knew how old he was! His face was so young, but his hair...was white. True, her hair was pink, and you could hardly call _that_ normal, but how old _was_ he exactly? _Damn hormones! _She wanted to thump her oversized forehead of the hard table. This could _not_ be happening to her. It was just crazy hormones, she would get use to it. Or maybe it was because of the Naruto Incident. _It's all Naruto's fault! _She felt like screaming. She needed some fresh air. Then she remembered that she couldn't go out. In the end, she just slumped in the chair, defeated.

_Aruka Kanata _by _Asian Kung-Fu Generation_ pumped loudly from the ear phones of the borrowed MP4 player from the relax room. She decided to head to the library, anything to distract her mind from the secret room. It was like Kakashi was setting her a test, leaving her alone, un-supervised, next door to it. Well, she wasn't going to give in. She was going to get inside in a stealthier way than just strolling in when he wasn't there. The whole situation reminded her of an English classic she had studied in class one day. _The Secret Garden_ she thought it was called. Did Kakashi have it in his private library? He didn't seem like a classic person, but then again, he didn't seem like a tidy person but his house showed otherwise. She searched the shelves for the author's name. There! The cherry Blossom pulled it out. It looked recently used. As she flicked through the pages, a bookmark slipped out and glided across the polished, wooden floor.

"Oh" Picking it up, Sakura sandwiched it between two random pages praying Kakashi wasn't going to read it any time soon. She spent ages, exploring the shelves, scanning the pages of familiar books. He even had manga!

The library grew stuffy and hot. Exhausted, Sakura left the room and returned the MP4 to the relax room. The weather grew increasingly hot, and, to her disappointment, there was no air conditioning. She collapsed onto the sofa in the living room and switched the TV on. Although the T.V occupied her mind for a while, she found her mind drifting back to a certain someone. How could Kakashi and the other Ninjas do their duties in _this_ heat? The more she thought of him, the more she found herself relaxing. Ok, maybe she did have a small crush on him, but it was no biggie, right?

Kakashi slipped the key into the key hole and twisted. There was the familiar click and he was inside. The heat hit him instantly. Outside was hot, but inside was even hotter without air conditioning. He heard the blossom welcome him from the living room. Speaking of hot...no. He mustn't think like that about Sakura. Well, he couldn't deny it anymore, he loved her, so why shouldn't he have his fun? Because she was an ill girl who didn't need this, but he did, badly. Maybe he could try it out, just once, and see what she thinks of it, how she reacts.

"I brought dinner, it's a take out." Kakashi called, resting the parcels on the mini table by the front door as he slipped off his shoes. "I'll be with you in a minute." He took one of the parcels and did what he usually did at home on a hot day. Stripped.

"Um, 'k!" Peeling herself from the sofa, Sakura fumbled with the T.V remote, trying to switch the damn thing off. She must have dozed off during her, ahem, _inappropriate daydreaming. _Trying to make her hair look decent, the blushing blossom made her way to the hall.

He left his mask, head band and trousers on, but he discarded his vests and shirts etc. Next, he picked up the sacks on the table. Just in time, Sakura's head popped around the door. There was a few seconds silence. She turned her head, trying to hide the blood seeping out her nose. He pretended not to have noticed. _And she calls _me_ perverted. _He chuckled and held out the sack. "Sexy mail delivery!" He announced.

"Ha! Very funny Kakashi. But seriously, why are you...like that. And what's in the bag?"

"I usually go around here like this, saves air conditioning. I don't usually have little girls crashing here so sorry. And why don't you just _look_ in the bag, and save me my breath." He ruffled her already messy hair and made his way to the kitchen with the take away.

Suspiciously, she prodded the package as if there were a bomb in there. It was a large, brown, mail bag, with a few faded words printed on the front. Sakura opened it and fished out whatever there was inside. She gasped.

The first thing to come out was a jewellery box. She opened it carefully. I single ballerina twirled to majestic music. It was what was in the box that made her gasp. A silver pendant, studded with a few rubies, was swinging from a gold chain. The cherry-blossom lifted it out and tried it on. It looked amazing on her.

"Why..." She was lost for words.

"It's a thank you, and a get well soon present." Kakashi called from the kitchen.

"A thank you gift? What for?"

"Trusting me."

"You didn't have to... but thank you! Thank you so much! I will get _you_ a thank you gift too! For obvious reasons..."

"Don't worry about it! Check what else is in the bag." Sakura emptied the contents carefully onto the floor. A few envelopes. She picked the nearest one and read it:

**Sakura,  
>Get well soon! We miss you here!<br>Love from all at the Medical Clinic  
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<strong>

Sakura smiled at the note, folded it in half neatly and tucked it away. It was all lies of course. Everyone probably knew what had happened by now and would obviously support Naruto and Hinata. Who would miss stupid old Sakura? The useless one. The hopeless one. The ugly one. Her heart lurched and dropped to the bottom of her stomach like a stone. Her head spiralled into a pit of darkness and self-loathing and...

"Sakura! Dinner's ready!" His husky voice snapped her out of her trance. She gulped and treaded into the kitchen, trying not to meet his eyes. Somehow though, she could tell that he already knew how she felt. On the grand oak table, two bowls of steaming, hot ramen rested on the edge of a tray full of rice balls and various vegetables. The young woman forced a smile and sat in the nearest space. He sat down next to her. They ate in silence. She absentmindedly twirled her chopsticks while trying to imagine Kakashi eating at this giant table all alone. She felt sick again.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did that letter upset you? What was in it?" He felt her forehead for a temperature. Sakura pulled away and stared glumly at the table. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but there was no point in Kakashi fussing over her when there was obviously nothing wrong with her. It was just her being a spoilt brat. She thanked God that her parents were away on a business trip. They weren't ninjas. They looked after the family business store, selling supplies especially for ninjas and were to busy to deal with her petit problems.

The white haired ninja furrowed his brows. Whatever was going through Sakura's mind right now certainly wasn't good for her recovery. He had to get them out, and fast. "Hey now," He patted her shoulder lightly, "Didn't I tell you that you didn't have to hold anything back from me?" The medic nin just smiled faintly, but sat as still as a statue, her thoughts somewhere else. It pained him to see her like this. An idea flashed across his mind and his covered lips curled into a smile. "Sakura..." His smile turned into a grin. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura."

She looked up, puzzled. "What?" But before she could shout, the older nin picked her up in his arms and quickly made a few hand signs. They disappeared before she could even move.


	4. The other side

**Note from Asayo:**** I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. A lot has been going on in my life and I've been so stressed out! However, I'm trying to get back into writing weekly, so give me time, please! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Hinata and Naruto, Hinata and Naruto; that's all that the youths of Konoha village talked about. Whispered words were passed back and forth behind the couples back, some encouraging, kind gentle words, some against the pairing altogether, but either way, the two young lovers were the centre of the village gossip. About how Naruto cheated on Sakura, about what he had said to her, about how Naruto was set up, about how Sakura left him, about how Naruto didn't mind.

That said ninja sat, once again, under the protective branches of the cherry blossom tree, but this time, with another girl. Hinata sat cross-legged on the other side of the tree trunk, and although thery were almost back to back, they held hands. Her eyes nervously flicked from side to side as, unlike Naruto, she was well aware and slightly afraid of all the rumours floating around. Her duffle coat lay sprawled across the ground somewhere to her left and, even though the heat of the sun was almost unbearable, she wished she was hidden beneath it again. It was her safe place, where no one could touch her. She felt like she shouldn't be here, like she was intruding. Naruto was just behind her, yet it felt like he was a world away from her. They sat there, not speaking, their silence heavier than words. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Is something wrong, Hinata?" His voice sounded distant, faint. She forced a smile.

"N-no Naruto. I just feel like..." She couldn't complete the sentence, wishing she had just stopped talking after "no".

"Like...?" His voice felt closer, but in a bad way. Like he was being dragged out of a dream but wasn't ready to return to the real world yet. Like she was a nuisance. She didn't want to feel like this. They had only been going out for a little while, and everything was fine until now. He had made a bold move by taking her to this spot. Everyone knew it was _their_ spot, Naruto and Sakura's spot, not hers.

"Like...maybe I shouldn't be here. I mean, Sakura..." She was interrupted mid-sentence by rustling behind her. Naruto was getting to his feet. He looked peeved.

"I thought I told you that me and Sakura are over now. I offered for us to be friends, but she declined. I can't _make_ myself love her can I?" He huffed and turned away again. "If you want to go, fine." He started walking off.

"No wait Naruto!" In a blind rush of panic, she pushed herself to her feet and charged after Naruto. The blonde nin, who was caught completely by surprised, turned around to find himself being knocked backwards off his feet. He dug his feet into the ground and held the teary Hinata. "I-I-I'm so sorry Naruto...I just thought...it wasn't my place. I didn't...I mean, we can stay here if you want." She clung onto him, fearing that if she let go, he would leave her for good. He brushed her hair and hugged her back.

"It's ok. I'm sorry too. I'm just really tense lately. I didn't mean what I said. I shouldn't have been so harsh and taken my anger out on you." Smiling kindly, he found her cheek, brushed away the tears and then levelled her face with his. "I love you, Hinata." He whispered into her ear, and with that, he slowly pushed his lips onto hers. She responded almost automatically, reaching around his neck with her hand. Their bodies were so close, they almost melted into one, and no one noticed the two figures kissing softly in the summer breeze.

**X X X**

"Ah! What do you think you're doing, Kakashi?" The pink haired ninja wriggled free from him, blushing. I took a moment for her to get her bearings. The last thing she'd remembered was being wrapped up in his strong arms...

_**Get a hold of yourself, girl! Take a look around you!**_ Her Inner Sakura hadn't made an appearance for a while. The cherry blossom turned around, and gasped.

A beautiful garden stretched out as far as the eye could see. Different types of herbs and flowers were scattered around, shielding any brown patch of earth from view. Trees stretched up to impossible heights, as if in competition to see which was the tallest and the grass and shrubbery ran wild, but not too wild so that it was overgrown. Vines climbed up fences and ornaments, and somewhere, not too far off, she could hear the sound of running water. There was absolute silence apart from the sound of water, buzzing insects, and a bird chirping off to her right somewhere. She daren't say anything in case she disturbed the peace. Suddenly, the blossom became aware that she was alone. Kakashi had gone. Spinning around, she searched for signs of movement in the trees and bushes, but there was none. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a path cutting through the forest of trees. Double checking that Kakashi wasn't around, she started down the mysterious path.

The sound of water became louder as she made her way forwards. Stray branches clung to her as she moved and the smell of so many different flowers combined made her nose itch. Where on earth was she?

The dense forest of trees parted and an elegant water feature came into view. It was of a beautiful, young woman bending over a small pool. She had a flower in her hair and her hands were almost touching the rippling water. Sitting next to it, was Kakashi, nose deep in a book, as usual.

"Master Kakashi! Where were you?" Her eyes drank the sight of the place. She'd never seen anything like it.

"I was here the whole time. I thought you could use the time to yourself to explore." He replied, calmly flipping over the next page. "What do you think of this place?"

"It's amazing! It's like an enchanted fairytale garden." The whole place reminded her of something from a book. Once again, she thought back to The Secret Garden.

"Oh really?" The masked ninja smiled and raised his head. Their eyes met. "If this is a fairytale, then you're the princess." Winking, he returned to his book, as if nothing had happened. To her mortification, Sakura felt herself blushing. Every movement he made, everything he said, he said it so..so..

_**Sexily?**_ Her inner Sakura chimed in. _Shut up_, she forced the thought out of her head. _He's way older than me, even if he is hot..._

"So, Kakashi, where are we anyway?" The blossom tried to distract her inner self, while at the same time, struggling with her feelings for her ex teacher.

"We're in my secret place. I come here now and then to think things over. I'm the only one who ever visits this place, well, until now. So don't tell anyone!" He chuckled "Now that this is your secret place too, I expect you to come here every time you feel sad or want to relax. Got that?" He ordered in a jokingly stern voice. Sakura laughed and played along.

"Sir, yes sir!" She giggled. Instantly, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. He trusted her with an amazing secret, and that alone made her feel better. "What if I _don't_?" She joked. He leaned forwards, closing the gap between them.

"Well, I'll just have to kidnap you and take you here anyway." He winked, and patted her hair as her cheeks turned pink. "Of course, I would also have to stop you escaping..." He scratched at his chin thoughtfully through his mask.

"Who says I'd want escape?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she even realised what she had said. Her whole face flushed red, but she managed to maintain eye contact. The white haired ninja laughed.

"Well, it isn't kidnapping if you willingly stay, is it?" Their lips were, once again, just inches away, teasing her. Should she make the first move? Was he planning on moving in? Her heart pounded as she wondered if she could really do it, and the whole time, his eyes were searching her face. Should she...could she...?

"N-no," Stuttered the blossom. She willed her body to move forwards, but it wouldn't obey. She wanted to, so badly...and then the chance was gone. He moved back and ruffled her hair lightly. He trusted her. What if he didn't really like her that way? He had treated her with so much kindness, she couldn't mess it up. She realised that she couldn't do it. Not yet. "No, I guess not."

"You look disappointed." He teased, but let the subject drop. "Anyway, stay here for as long as you like. I don't mind. It's been a while since I've been here." Kakashi smiled faintly. Sakura smiled back.

"Is it ok if I stick around here for a while? This place is so peaceful!"

"Of course, be my guest." He shifted into a more comfortable position and turned his attention back to his book. Sakura turned to the way she had just come from. The place seemed so huge! She had no idea where to start exploring first. A grin tugged at her lips. Why worry? She had plenty of time.


	5. From a distance

Kakashi looked up from his book and checked the time. They had been in the garden for hours. It was almost evening. He never even noticed the sky darkening. With a sigh, he tucked the book into its pouch and stood up, looking for Sakura. He hadn't seen her at all since their little conversation earlier, or _seduction._ He shook his head. He knew it was cruel to keep playing these games with her, but he didn't mean to. The instinct to do more than just flirt with her was becoming harder and harder to control. This worried him. She was centimetres away from him, _centimetres_! His head was screaming to just move a little closer, to close the gap between them, to place his masked lips onto hers... _Stop it_! He shook his head like a swimmer shaking the water from his hair. _That's never going to happen, and we both know it._ It pained him to think about it. Kakashi looked around one last time, and set off in search of Sakura.

**X X X**

He found her fast asleep on the grassy bank, overlooking a large lake. She must have been warn out from exploring. The white haired ninja crouched down next to her and shook her shoulder gently. "Hey sleeping beauty, wake up!"

"Nnngh." The cherry blossom groaned and swatted a hand in his direction. He caught it before it hit him.

"Charming." He chuckled, and shook her again. Sakura's eyes fluttered briefly, but she refused to be woken from her slumber. Kakashi bit his lip. Even when she was asleep, the blossom still looked beautiful, from her pink, windswept hair and pouty lips, right down to her small smile and rosy cheeks. The ex sensei leaned in closer. He couldn't help himself, he loved her, and there was no denying that. Even though he didn't want to admit it, it didn't change the facts. He shook himself. What was he thinking? She was so young, and he was so old. It would never work out, and what if _she_ didn't like _him_? Although his brain provided the excuses, his heart knew better. He loved her. He. Loved. Her. He _loved_ her. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It was so wrong, but it felt right. The older nin massaged his forehead and frowned. This was bad, yet it was good too.

"K-Kakashi?" The man jumped back, surprised. Had she been awake all this time? He nervously licked his lips, and was about to answer but realised that she hadn't moved. "A-ah, Kakashi..." He realised she was still asleep. The blossom was talking in her sleep, and she was dreaming of him. Relaxing slightly, he sat closer to her. "I...ah! Kakashi..." He suddenly felt guilty, like he was trespassing, like he was listening to her secret thoughts, yet he didn't want to turn away. She was calling to him, whispering his name, smiling seductively, wanting him. Suddenly, he couldn't help himself. He lowered his head close to hers. His mind was racing. Should he do it? She was right there, and she wanted him to do it. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He closed his eyes as his masked lips brushed her forehead gently. He stroked her, heard her gasp in her sleep. It drove him forward. He wanted her, now. Somewhere, in the back of his head, alarm bells were ringing. They screamed at him to stop, and that he was taking advantage of her. It was so selfish of him. What if she woke up? He would ruin the friendship that they had built up. What was he _thinking_? Kakashi froze up. He couldn't do it. No matter how badly he wanted her, he couldn't completely destroy her for one, selfish desire. It was stupid really. She had just got over a break up and there he was, slobbering over her while she was asleep. He lowered his head ashamed. Time to go home.

**X X X**

Sakura woke up in her bed at Kakashi's mansion. She sat up, confused. How had she got there? The last thing she remembered was... the blossom blushed. The last thing she remembered was having a particularly hot dream about the one and only white haired, ex sensei. She brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and smiled, partly embarrassed at the memory. It was a good dream, and some parts felt so real too, like when he held her close and when she felt his lips on her forehead... but then it was over too soon. Much too soon.

**Note from Asayo:**** Woo! Things are heating up! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'm sorry if it wasn't up to scratch. I've had a hell of a lot of things happen lately and it took a while, but I'm finally writing again! Thanks to my friends for all the support to get me back on my feet again, and thanks to you for the positive feedback and comments! Hope to see you again soon!**


	6. At arm's length

**I'm so sorry everyone about these late chapters, but there's so many exams it's hard to do this too! Thank you all for your support and comments, and a special shout out to ****Freyja Elizabeth**** for her lovely message! I hope you enjoy this chapter (sorry if it's a bit short, I haven't written in a while and I'm a bit rusty!)  
>-Asayo xx<strong>

The ramen bar was packed on Saturdays. It was crowded, and noisy, but the food well worth it. Even so, it was not the best place to take your shy, self conscious girlfriend on a date. Hinata twirled her fork in her noodle bowl, gathered up a few strands, and let it slip off her fork and back into the bowl again. Around her, bodies pushed against each other and voices shouted from every direction, each wanting to be heard over the last.  
>"One Ichiban Ramen coming up!"<br>"Make it two!"  
>"Hey quit pushing!"<br>"Did you see last night's episode of..."  
>"Can I have some water?"<br>"I'm not pushing! You are!"  
>"Sorry, I'm not interested in dating right now."<br>"Are you sure?"  
>"Hey, isn't that Hinata? The girl who stole Sakura's boyfriend?" A female voice called over the others. Hinata froze up and strained to hear what was going to be said next.<br>"Oh yeah! The one in that ridiculous duffle coat. Seriously, who wears that in a bar like this?" Another woman's voice. Hinata didn't dare to turn around to see who it was. She could almost feel their gazes burning into her neck, and wished now, more than ever, that she could just shrink in size and be lost inside her coat forever.  
>"What's he like then?"<br>"Who?"  
>"The boyfriend. He must be pretty good if two girls wanted him." The two women moved closer to the bar, unaware of how loud they were. One squinted at the blonde boy, guzzling down his ramen in record breaking time and burping loudly.<br>"Doesn't look like it." She nudged her friend and they both burst out laughing. Hinata hunched her shoulders. "Shh shh! I think she can hear us!" She whispered loudly between fits of giggles.  
>"I doubt it. She doesn't look too bright." Said the other, and they both laughed again. They were then pushed to the side by a burly looking man, holding some drinks. The two walked off to the other side of the bar, whispering and sniggering, throwing the occasional glance at the unfortunate couple. Hinata gazed sadly into her bowl of ramen and pushed it away. She wasn't feeling very hungry anymore.<br>"What's the matter, Hinata? You've hardly eaten anything." Naruto said, finishing another bowl.  
>"N-nothing Naruto. I've just...lost my appetite." She was glad that he hadn't heard what the girls were saying. The blonde smiled gently and took patted her leg.<br>"Want to go somewhere else?" He asked,  
>"Sure." Hinata replied, relieved. Even though the young women were gone, something was bothering her, and she wasn't sure what. People talked behind her back all the time. Why was she bothered so much by this? Naruto, clueless to his girlfriend's problems, took her by the hand and lead her out of the bar. She followed wordlessly, too wrapped up inside her own thoughts to care where they were going.<p>

**xXx**

He was doing it again. Staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking, and every time she plucked up the courage to meet his gaze, he would avert his eyes and pretend to be doing something else. It wasn't like before. The mood was different. Sakura kept her eyes on the TV and tried not to let it get to her. _Whatever his problem is, he'll tell me when he's ready,_ she thought,_ just give him some time and he'll tell me what's wrong. _Something _was_ definitely wrong though. Kakashi's sad looks and stares would rest upon her shoulders like an extra weight every time, and all she could do was ignore it and hope he didn't see her. For someone with one eye covered, his stares sure were heavy.  
>"I'm going out for a while." Kakashi said at last, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning against the door frame. He had taken too much time off work lately, and he was sure that Sakura would be able to look after herself. "I'll be home before tea."<br>"See you then." Sakura waved at him and flashed a reassuring grin.  
>"Keep out of trouble." The older nin looked like he was about to say something else, but changed his mind and left, closing the door behind him.<br>Sakura sighed and slumped down onto the sofa. Ever since they came home from the Secret Garden, things had changed. It wasn't awkward exactly, but it felt like he was more closed off than before, as if he was holding her at arm's length. No matter how much she replayed the scene, she couldn't figure out what had happened to change the way he acted. Did he regret taking her there? Was that it? She racked her brains, trying to picture that day again. Everything was normal, great in fact. So why was Kakashi so sullen all of a sudden? Sakura gripped the silver pendant that Kakashi had given her when she first stayed. She wore it almost every day now.  
><em><strong>Hmm, why is that I wonder?<strong>_ Inner Sakura hadn't made an appearance in a while, but the cherry blossom found that it was nice to talk to someone when she was alone, even if that someone is in her head. It was a comfort thing.  
><em>It looks good on me<em>, she protested.  
><em><strong>Sentimental value,<strong>_ the blossom duplicate wiggled her finger, making _tut tut_ noises. _**You like, no sorry, **_**love**_** Master Kakashi. Don't try to deny it!**_  
><em>I wasn't going to.<em> Sakura gave in to her thoughts.  
><em><strong>Do you remember the night before he gave you that pendant?<strong>_  
><em>Yeah,<em> replied Sakura, realising where this was going,_ I remember. I was exploring this house. _  
><em><strong>And he caught you.<strong>_  
><em>Thanks to you!<em> She retorted, but knew what her inner self was planning. Who can catch her, when they aren't there? With Kakashi gone for the day, who can stop her picking up where she left off? She still hadn't explored that corridor full of rooms, even if one of them was under lock and key, it didn't mean that the others were. The library was massive enormous too, and if she got tired, she could always go and play the arcade games in the other room. The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her.  
><em><strong>So what's stopping you then?<strong>_  
>Sakura knew what was stopping her. A part of her that she hadn't even realised was there. A part of her that was buried under sorrow and depression ever since Naruto had broken her heart. <em>Don't do it,<em> that part of her said, _he trusts you. He's shown you something that is extremely important to him._  
><em><strong>He never said that she should stop exploring. He only said not to go into that one room.<strong>_  
><em>But...<em> the other voice was smothered by her original inner self. Sakura's mind was made up, but although it was smothered, the little part of her was still thinking, feeling, talking. It didn't want to leave.


	7. Confession Time! UPDATE ON ABSENCE

I AM SO SORRY! It's been ages since I've even looked at this story! You might be looking for an explanation for my absence so here we go:

TOO MANY EXAMS AND CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS AND ESSAYS TO EVEN COUNT! My brain feels like it's imploding with the amount of information I've had to cram into it these past few months.

I've had some bad news from the doctors so I've had to go back and forth from my house to my family to the hospital and back again, so I've been pretty busy.

WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS. After leaving it for so long, it's hard to know where to pick it up. I have many ideas, but I'm pretty rusty and I haven't been writing anything except notes and essays lately.

Time off, weekends and breaks from studying are now worth their weight in gold for me, so when I get them, I usually spend them on playing Skyrim and Deus Ex...

So it's been REALLY busy lately for me and I either haven't had time for this or haven't been in the mood to write. I promise (for real this time) that I WILL get back to writing this one day, but for now, my practise exam questions aren't going to answer themselves

Sorry!

Asayo xx


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